Collision shock absorber



' Marchv 305,1926.

x .v i v B. D. GILSON I .l

`COLLIS-JON SHOCK ABSORBER Filed Feb. A1925v `Sheets-Sheet 1 A Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

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Basri D. Gipser, or carcassa. interets cciirision siioci; Masonera. j

i Appneatiqniiied'february 21,* i925. emerito., iogrevo,"Y q 5 ZQ all t mayfgoqiccrn." f I y Beit known that I, Biin'r1D.GiLsoN,'a

citizen of the United States, residing atChicago, iiiy ther CQUEY 0f @ook and'Statel 0f Illinois, 'V-hav'ey invented: new and'useful Im-` proyeinents in Collision Shock Absorbers, of lwhich the following is a specification.

- This inventiony has relation to.v self pro.-

pelled veliiclesgiid refers Vparticularly to collision shock absorbers for such vehicles. Such shock absorbers usually fare termed 'buinrersyaml they are attarde@ to the .fIOrlt and .ear, ends of thev vehicle chassis.

The bumpers' provided inthe early days If the autoniobilehistory consisted merely of rigidvbar transversely mounted on chassis fr ont'andrear ends. Later the mounting devicesY for such bars were made resilient, and at'the ,presenttime it is customary to employ also flexible bumper bars, in order to Y v Y in order, to afforida better anchoring' surface f for the saidcrossbarf'lhe crf'isszbar"10is` at both/ends curled up to form heads 11095 of a sizel to receive ai pair of hinge bolts, lill,

attainy greater shock absorbing efficiency. d

TheA object ofl the present invention the provision of a bumper of great' resiliency. A further object is to pioyide a Vbumper which may' readily absorb, not only direct thrusts, but` also diagonal shocks. More particularly my invention consistsin the iinproved features 'of construction 'hereinafter fully described and illustratedf inthe accompanying drawings, `of which:

" Fig. l is a plan View [of an automobile chassis .embodynsftlle inventionl f '2 showsthe front 'end v of, the left bracket and Wheel Spring, with the bumper of my inyention attached, the 'latter being shown in section, substantially on' line ZQ' Fs- 1; y Eig.' 3 isy a` fragmentary. view similar to Fig. 2,. but taken substantially on line 3 of.Fig. 1, and I i l Figc i illustrates a detaill of construction,

pointed out.

The chassis may be ofany ordinary construction., and 1t compressa rur of Parallel cross'biaces 3, 4, Afront bumper andv a rear". buiiiper are attached to thesejbars, as will now be described. The chassis 'bar 2 @erred niialeselentlie 2l. Titia-bracket bait. A bracket is perfoiitedf?, receiye a Uittips. by means. of which it is rigidly bine .the wie Quer bumper 'bars 16.5117- a -ealetaml thme"'Permanently liilI Properly' spaced parallel',y relation. `Apowerful coilA the importance ,of which will hereinafter be l frame bars l and 2, suitably combined, as

extends forward and is' then bent .downWard-I at a and rearnard; terminates/ina perforated head-sliapedto y'straddle thehead of; thebar Q'andto )receiye the' shackle bolt 5;' In this or Aany otliersuitable mannerthe the cha-ssisbar"'2,'V and 'it 'istobe noted that the bracket `head abuts the front' face ofthe chassis bar liead Qtywliicli is quite impor bracket? is rigidly mounted on 'the/end of tant in order lthat the bracket maybe abletr)` resist the blows it issubjected'-towithoiit l sliding longitudinallyA on the-,chassis bar.

vtached aj second -buinperfbracket '9,' which preferably is identical Withthe loi'-ackel', 7;. i An inner 'bumper cross bard() isy fastened 'f tothe pendant portion vof ytlie't-Wo brackets l in any suitable manner;v as by aI pair-ofbolts ll, lfand a pair of clips 18; 14e` may' conv'enientlyv be made Vto straddle` said'v brackets 15, and the'lattei in turn'supporta pair 'of forated in lthe'centerto receive-a bolt L18', and

disposed brace '19, :which brace seryesI to com-` dito Shrine' 20 slunsiiths bolt @ed ,it iS ,1011s enough fto occupy the space between ythe kbrace 19 and Vthe inner bumper bar, 1 0, as indicated. All thetliree aforenamedbuiiiper vtliis'bolt vis securely anchored in a vertically bars are madefof resilient metalgfsuch fas' steel7 and it is to be noted tliatthe outer bars 16,17 terminlate at both 5 ends in yWide sweeping curves 16?. which` entend Well back of the' hinge ybolts lil, l5, occupying'` substantially three-fourths of-a circlel r'On account ofthepowe'rful support afforded tlielspringQO', bearing'algainsttl'ie inner'gbar,10,;'itnis toflbeA iic'itech that the buinper'bars may be much lighter' and' coiiy.

seoueiitly much Inoicflexible than 'suolir bars ordinarily are invade when used.Withoutsuch 1 spi-ing and inner support. When to this is added the large curved ends of the outer bars,`it should `be clear to' those Versed'iii'the ,art that the @rter corners orv the bien` ers very lee-neither eerarressble Fier# more, it must be noted that vthe'bars are free .to swing on the'hinge pins 14, 15. The effeet of ra direct front-al impact, as when thrust against Vthe bumper o'fa collidiiigvel hicle, is to compress the'spring 20,'A causing the bolt l1.8 to slide rearwardly through the'y perforation in the Vbar 10.' "Iheloops'16a, 17a simultaneously are urged rearwardly and may` yield considerably because, d ue to, freedom o finotioli AOrl thehinge bolts 14, 15,*the ends-of the bars Vare ,able to windv themselves `i Vup on Ysaid bolts Yin response to such pressure.

If theimpact'of collision is'diagonally d'iv rected against'oneicorner of the bumper, it

is t :beV noted that; thef'efect on vfthe.y 'loop struck istoxwind this loop up on its hinge 1' pin, andthatthere -is simultaneous tendency to unwind on thepart vof the loop at the 'other endf'The bolt 18 should be given sponse to such impact.

sufcientfreedoml to ,move laterally in re- The. rear bumper should,.,ipreferably, be

kident-ical withY the one described. Frequent- .fly it isfound, however, desirable to allow room between ,the` bumper .and the rear ofl i the vehicle for the spare tire usually carried by. automobiles. The kmodication in the construction, necessaryl kfor this purpose, may

l fee beas rillustrated in Fig. 1. -It is here asvsumed that the rear end of the chassis `is shapedl substantially lilrethe front end, and

that therefore, similar'brackets 22, clips 28 and U-bolts124 maybe used. The. inner bumper bar 25,' is curved rearwardly to pr0 vide a centrall loop, and the V'outermbumper .bars 26j aregiven a corresponding rearward y jcurve. Hinge pins 28, bolt 29brace 30 and spring 3l may remain substantially'as above described. Thethrusts against the bumper bars will in this case be absorbed as readily vasby the front buinper.- ".Thesp'rin'g 31 supports the center .of the bumper equally as well, and the outer Vloops 27fmay flex and l18Jand the buffer spring 20, it is possible to provide a single resilient U-shaped brace,

l Y 30, substantially as indicated in Fig. 4. This Vconstruction would be cheaper but, of course,

Cil

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not quite so sensitive.

Because. there` is no uniformity in the Y. chassis constructionv of automobiles, and in the leafspringy suspension, it is evident that minor inodications in .shape and construction may be necessary in orderto attach my bumper vto vehiclesy vof yvariousV makes, but the essential features vof my invention, as

above` setV forth and hereinafter claimed should remain'- substantially unchanged. Y

IY claim brackets Vperforated at each end for attachintermediate theirends, a' cross bari clamped' in saidclips, said bar terminating adjacent to saidclips in perforated heads, a `flexible impactinember formed'withy similar perforated heads'at Athe ends, pivots seatedin lsaid perforations, 'said' impact member 'coinprising :a Y straightA portion extending in parallel spaced relationV to and ,theffull lengthv lof Saidr bar, and continuing thence in large Y outward and #rearward sweeping curves to said heads.

2. A vehiclebumper comprising aA pair Of support brackets, a cross bar onk said brackets v land terminating in' perforated heads directlyoutside the brackets, a flexible i impact member perforated at .the ends,

pivots seated in the ends of the bar andthe member, said member fpifovided with'V fa i lstraight portion from* vwhich extends l in large outward and rearward curves to sa-id piv,ots,nand. means yieldingly y' maintaining the bar and the member inparallelspaced 2.

relation. i v l 3. In a vehicle bumper, asupportl frame having perforated endsand iittedfor. attachmentto the vehicle lclose to said perforations, -a flexible impact member pivotally .1

hung on said frame 'inl parallel spaced relation thereto by means of pivots seated'in said perforations, said member having a,l straight portion substantially as long as said Y frame, fronnwhichV portion -it ,f extends .in 'large outward and rearward 'curves to its Y 1'00 Vof 'the frame and the impact member so as pivots, afbolt extending through'kfth'e 'center to ,preventY spreading `of said parts, and a coiled spring seated on the bolt between the i.

said .parts yieldingly to*Y maintainpthem in such spaced relation.

14.,".In combination with a chassis hz'itvifri'g longitudinal framey bars, a pair of' brackets, clamped against thefends of said bars, clips rigidonfthe outerfends ofsaid brackets, across member bolted on'v said clips, a second cross member encompassing Vsaid kfirst member .and pivotally mounted thereon, and means yieldingly maintaining the two members in spaced relation, said means comprising ka non-yielding spacer preventing spreading of the two cross members, and a yielding spring,occupyingfthe space between said members.

5. In coii'ibinatioii'wi-tl1'vehicle chassis side I.

bars terminating inperforated heads, a pair of J-shaped brackets the short legs of` which are bifurcated to straddle said headsy and similarly perforated, shackle bolts seated in vsaid perforatioiis, the long legs' of said brackets resting on top of saidside bars,

VLl-bolts engaging said legs tol clamp them rigidly on said bars, clipsfon 'thefbowpof .Y l ,.salid vJ-brackets, a .resilient cro'ssil member. Y Y jl. A vehicle ybumper comprising a pair of' 65 apart.

said heads, a pair ofv bent brackets perorated at one end to seatjsaid bolts and at the other end to receive bolts for clamping lthebraekets to saidside frames, a cross-bar combination with Vehicle sideVv frames termmatlng 1n perforated heads and having a vpair of '-Sha'ekle bolts seated 1n bar in parallel `spaced'relation,thereto andr meansyieldingly maintaining said bumper bars in suoli spaced cross bar. K v l In testimony whereof I have hereunto af- Xedmysignature;V y 1.' v Y l Y' v .BERT DtGILSON; f

relation on tliek said,Y

rigidly mounted on Lsaid'braeketsQa pairo'fll` bumper barspivotally hung on saidcross. 

